


Warm and Fuzzy (socks)

by Lyrishadow



Series: A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [9]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28234836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: Fuzzy socks and a dose of hope.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043946
Kudos: 2





	Warm and Fuzzy (socks)

At the time Egan Shepard and Kaidan Alenko got engaged it had been nearly a year since the Reapers were defeated. They all had losses felt keenly at the holiday season, but Georgina Alenko was determined to give celebrating her best shot and had invited all of them to visit for Christmas. So they came, Joker, his sister Hilary, Tali, Garrus, Steve, and James - a group of friends that were as an odd assortment as possible, but for the older Alenko it was a natural thing to have a crowd around and after everything - her son was happy so she was happy.  
In the evening, when the sleeping arrangements had been finalized and everyone was on their second cup of hot chocolate, Hilary gave everyone a gift.  
Somehow she had snuck in 10 small packages, even without Joker knowing. It helped that Hilary was actually going to be staying long term with Georgina Alenko, and had bought most if not all of her remaining belongings. (Tiptree had been over-run fairly quickly by all reports with very little time for anything, and Hilary was lucky to be alive but Joker had made sure she had everything she needed.)  
She grinned as she handed them out, encouraging Egan and Kaidan to open theirs first.  
Upon opening the packages out popped fuzzy, blue socks. They had a matching set and their names carefully embroidered on them - which made it feel all the warmer of a gift.  
“Hilary! Did you do this?” Egan pointed at the embroidery.  
“Gunny, please call me Gunny - like my brother - he thinks of you guys as his family so I do too..” she took a deep breath “Yes that is my work, is it okay?”  
“It’s awesome.” Kadian broke in with a grin “Can’t wait to wear them.”  
“Well, hopefully, they can keep your feet warm!” Gunny replied with a big grin.  
Tali opened hers next, they were the same kind of fuzzy sock but designed to go over her suit.  
“You can wear them when you want to relax and not have to wear big old boots everywhere.” Gunny was shy around Tali but she showed a lot of respect, and humor, without which Kaidan suspected would have made the war all the harder on the kid.  
Garrus was next, his were much more turian in look, designed for turian feet.  
“Gunny, how did you do this?”  
“I had a little help with yours.” Gunny glanced at Tali with a grin “But the embroidery is mine, I just wanted to... Ah, thank you all for saving my galaxy and keeping my stubborn brother safe.”  
“Hey!” Joker objected “I keep them safe you know.”  
“I know. That’s why you got a gift too.” Gunny laughed at him “Go on open it!”  
Joker opened his gift and began to chuckle. His socks were not embroidered with his name but rather ‘the best pilot in the whole damn galaxy’.  
“Joker…” Egan shook his head with a smile “pretty fitting, no-one else can wear those socks.”  
Gunny had a gift for James next, she was even shyer around the newly minted N school graduate.  
“This is for you.” she quickly hid behind her brother while James opened it.  
“Oh.” He pulled the socks out with the N7 logo on and laughed “These are great!”  
“Good work Gunny,” Egan noted as James stared at the logo, running his finger over the N7.  
“Also for the other pilot.” Gunny handed Cortez him and as he opened them he grinned.  
“ Thanks, Kiddo!” He lifted them up, they were black with white embroidery - ‘Shepard’s shuttle pilot’ was written on them. Her embroidery was neat, and obviously a skill she had mastered while they lived on Tiptree. Finally, she turned to Georgina and handed over a package.  
“ These are for you, I hope.. They are okay.” nerves getting the best of her again she rounded the sofa and leaned behind Joker. Georgina Alenkop opened the packet and tears appeared in her eyes.  
“Thank you.” She looked at the girl with a smile “ This means a lot to me, that you thought of us like this.”  
“It was the least I could do.”Gunny replied quietly “We all really are grateful to be alive, and… maybe I have lost some of my humor along the way but wanted to make you all smile.”  
When Georgina lifted her fuzzy pink socks up, they were embroidered with all of their names, plus Kaidan’s dad’s name. It was a very sweet gesture, and really showed the impact that being asked to stay here had on the young girl.  
“I am glad to have you all here. We should enjoy it as much as we can.” Georgina said, “then we can keep celebrating the small things as much as possible.”  
“Hm.” Kaidan nodded his agreement “This very much feels like family.”  
“I think Egan is asleep.” Tali pointed out, gesturing at the man who was leaning on Kaidan’s shoulder with his eyes closed.  
“Vega is close to it.” Garrus noted “Guess we all did a fair bit of traveling today. How about we sleep?”  
“That’s a good plan.” Georgina asked Gunny “You right in sharing the room with Tali?”  
“Yes, it will be fun!” Gunny grinned as Tali nodded “I can sleep with my suit on, so all is good, Let’s go Gunny, we can get more sleep than the others that way.” Tali grinned “Or talk more.”  
After Gunny and Tali went to bed, Egan was woken by Kaidan.  
“Sorry!” Egan sat up startled “I didn’t realize how tired I was.”  
“I think you might have earned a little rest,” Garrus noted as he stood and stretched, careful not to hit the ceiling.  
“Mrs. Alenko?” Joker asked his voice low, she nodded at looked at him waiting “Thanks for taking us on, for helping me with Gunny. I.. she still has nightmares from Tiptree. I can’t help with that, but I think being here is going to be good for her.”  
“She will be ok, Joker.” Kaidan said quietly “She has all of us.”  
“Thanks.” Joker tried to hide his sadness “She is all I have. I dearly want to protect her, but she barely escaped Tiptree before the reapers hit. They were lucky they went to Salarian bases but even then, the rest of it…”  
“Sorry, Joker,” Egan said quietly.  
“Egan, none of this is your fault. You did what you had to do.” Joker replied suddenly shivering. “God’s going to actually need these socks tonight aren’t we?”  
“Fresh snow tomorrow.” Cortez observed, “We can make snowmen or snow forts have a snow fight?”  
“Alright, let’s go to sleep.” Joker replied, “I’m out of energy today anyhow.”  
Every single one of them wore their new socks. There was one package that Gunny had hidden in her bag, with the hope she could gift it to the person if they came.  
Hope was a good thing to hold onto on a cold night in a new house, with a new family who already loved her as much as her brother did. Whatever had happened before, Gunny felt, she would come back to herself.


End file.
